


Commonwealth Coffee

by ScorpioSkies



Category: Fallout 4
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Humor, References to Drugs, Romance, Shenanigans, Slow Burn, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-12
Packaged: 2020-02-27 07:22:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18734320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScorpioSkies/pseuds/ScorpioSkies
Summary: Nora Hart has had some bad jobs in the past but, after a series of setbacks, she has found herself in the rundown Commonwealth Cafe. Struggling against the pressures of her new job and the downward spiral her life has taken, Nora eventually comes to terms with her newfound role and finds comfort in the small coffee shop and it's odd band of regulars.





	1. Chapter 1

Nora had figured the lowest point of her career would be when she was locked in a freezer and fired for it. Then she figured it was when her new employer read her tea leaves during the interview. Now, on day one at Commonwealth Coffee, she had to reconsider. 

 

“Cosy, ain't it?” Manager Murphy preened, flashing a smile that was more gums than teeth. “Makes me feel right at home!” 

 

Nora dreaded to think what the old lady's home looked like, because the cafe looked like someone had dropped a nuke. Old coffee stains spattered the walls and ceiling, the tables were covered in layers of grime from spilled drinks and food crumbs, the chairs and booths were equally filthy and the trash can overflowing. 

 

She counted at least six flies hovering in the air, bloated from eating so much garbage. 

 

Nora wanted nothing more than to turn around and walk right out the door, but instead she forced a smile, the strap of her bag creaking in her white-knuckled grip. The floor pulled at her shoes as she followed Murphy, sticky from god-knew-what. She made a mental note to scrub her soles after the shift. 

 

“What day is it today? Tuesday?” Murphy called over her shoulder, shuffling around the counter. 

 

“Um, it’s Monday, actually,” Nora corrected, following her to the kitchen door. 

 

“Oh, Monday… that’s one of our busy days,” Murphy commented dreamily. “Preston and Sturges stop by to see if I’m still kickin’, and the Longs sometimes come with groceries. Ya might see Cait, too. Poor kid’s had it rough from the start y’know. She never told me about it, but I saw it in my head.” 

 

Nora made a non-commital noise as they reached the kitchen, too focused on keeping her mask in place to conceal her growing horror. The kitchen had fared little better than the cafe area - in fact, if she was being perfectly honest, it was worse. 

 

The counters were stained, the washing piled in the sinks, the trash cans overflowing. The tea towels were foul and she half expected them to unfurl from their crumpled piles to reveal legs and a new life form. 

 

Murphy tottered over to an ancient electric kettle, her hand shaking as she raised the plug to the socket. “Could ya get this goin’ for me, kid? Make yourself a mug too, if ya want. If ya can’t get some jet to start your day, coffee will do!” 

 

Her laughter creaked across the kitchen as Nora filled the kettle as best she could from the overflowing sink. The water surrounded the dirty cutlery and kitchenware like a swamp, clumps of food floating on the surface like small islands. 

 

She decided against pouring herself a cup. 

 

“Anything I can get started with?” she asked instead, her eyes glancing to the defunct clock on the wall before she glanced at the watch on her wrist. God only knew how long the hands had been stuck at seven forty. 

 

“Well, I guess you can start cleaning in here and out there,” Murphy said slowly, lowering herself into a cushioned chair set at the table in the room’s centre. “We can open up after I’ve had my daily caffeine boost.” 

 

* * *

 

Nora was still cleaning long after Murphy flipped the open sign on the door. 

 

No matter how much she did, there was always another mountain of work looming over her. She discovered that they had a dishwasher, but she also discovered the entire ecosystem living inside it. She was pretty sure she could hear bacterial cultures collapsing as she removed mouldy plates to soak in bleached water before turning the dishwasher to its hottest setting on empty. 

 

When emptying the garbage, she had to double bag everything and clean trash off the floor when bags split, or the towers atop the trash cans collapsed into stinking debris. The alleyway out back only made her lose further hope when she discovered more bags had been left against the wall rather than put in the nearby dumpster. 

 

A couple of rats made eye contact before they scarpered away, disappearing under the trash carpeting the ground. When Nora braved her way to the dumpster, it was to find it mostly empty. 

 

Beneath the dull resignation that this was what her career had come to - from the gleaming, sterile Institute kitchens to the filthy squalor of Commonwealth Coffee - she wanted to cry. Instead she forced herself to drink in a deep breath of foul air, reminded herself that every cent this job earned counted, and returned to the kitchen just as Murphy shuffled through the door. 

 

Her rheumy eyes scanned over the filthy mountains covering the counters and the steaming sink emitting the smell of bleach. She gave another gummy smile. 

 

“Someone’s been busy in here, I see!” 

 

“Yup - there’s still a lot to do, but I’ll get it done,” Nora promised with forced cheer, keeping her eyes glued to Murphy so she didn’t see the work looming on all sides. 

 

“Well, how about you take a break now. I want ya to meet two great friends of mine. They’ll be your regulars!” 

 

Nora tried not to feel disheartened or embarrassed as she followed Murphy to the front. Wherever she looked, she could only see more work that needed doing. 

 

Two men were waiting at the counter, one a police officer and the other what she guessed was a mechanic or handyman from his coveralls and the tools attached. She felt a little relieved that their drinks were to go, sold in the styrofoam cups that Murphy kept in the packaging rather than out on the surface. 

 

“Nora, this is Preston and Sturges. They come by everyday to make sure everything’s goin’ smooth and that there’s no funny business.” 

 

“We also come for the coffee,” Sturges added in a pleasant southern drawl, raising his cup in greeting. 

 

“It’s good to meet you,” Preston added, extending his hand. “I’m glad Mama’s finally got someone to give her a hand around here. It’s a lot of work for one woman to handle.” 

 

Nora gave him a firm handshake, her brows knitting together. “Your last name wouldn’t happen to be Garvey, would it?” 

 

“Yeah, that’s me,” Preston said slowly. “How did you know that?” 

 

“Ooooh, do you have The Sight, too?” Murphy asked, her dreamy gaze sharpening as she focused on Nora. 

 

“‘The Sight?’” Nora frowned. “No - my cousin, Evangeline? She works in your department?” 

 

“Oh! Angie!” Preston’s smile became a broad grin. “She’s mentioned you! Said you got a new job - good to put a face to the name!” 

 

“You too,” Nora smiled. She could already see why Angie gushed about him on a near daily basis. 

 

“Well, from what I’ve heard you’ll be in good hands then, Mama,” Preston smiled. 

 

“Oh I know. Nora’s a real hard worker! She’s already whippin’ the kitchen into shape an’ hasn’t even complained once!” 

 

“That so?” Sturges cocked a brow as he leaned on the counter. “Last gal Mama hired walked straight outta the kitchen soon as she walked in.” 

 

“Eh, she wasn’t right for the job anyway,” Murphy waved a gnarled hand. “Dogmeat didn’t like her anyhow.” 

 

“Dogmeat?” Nora blinked. 

 

“He’s a streetwise canine,” Preston supplied. “A stray who likes to come by here for food and water. He comes and goes when he feels like it, but he’s chased some nasty characters right out of the door for Mama when I haven’t been around.” 

 

“Yup. He’s one good puppy,” Sturges nodded sagely. “You make sure to give him a pat from us next time he comes around.” 

 

“Uh… sure thing,” Nora blinked. She loved animals, that was no secret - but she wasn’t sure about having a stray dog begging for food. The Institute would never have allowed a purebred pedigree on their parking lot, let alone through the door for a meal.       

 

“Well, we’d best get back to it,” Preston commented, grabbing his cup. “It’s been good meeting you Nora.” 

 

“Sure has - hope to see ya still here tomorrow!” Sturges winked. 

 

Murphy cackled. “You’ll see her alright - Nora’s stayin’ here for the long haul! I saw it!” 

 

_ I bloody hope not, _ Nora thought, but she just smiled and waved them off with a “Sure thing!”


	2. Chapter 2

The one perk of Nora’s new job was that it was quiet. The Institute had been a well-oiled machine, busy at all hours and intent on working towards their Michelin star. Commonwealth Coffee on the other hand was working towards just being functional. 

 

Murphy was usually late, though she always closed the cafe on time. As she whiled the day away up front, Nora worked on scrubbing the kitchen grime into submission, and taking inventory of what they had. 

 

She discovered they had a cleaning cupboard, but it needed some serious cleaning itself. One look at the mop and cloths told her they needed replacing, and many of the bottles were empty. 

 

So it was that on her third day, Nora spent her lunch break shopping for supplies. Murphy gave her a small sum of money to spend, but Nora added some of her own dollars to the pile to get the quality products, telling herself it was an investment if it helped prevent her new workplace being shut down as a hazardous area. 

 

Upon her return she discovered that they had a customer, huddled in a booth at the back of the dining area. They had their back to her, their face buried in the sleeves of their hoodie as they napped on the table. 

 

_I didn't even get around to cleaning out here…_

 

Nora hoped they didn't mind the coffee stains and crumbs. The customer didn't stir as she rounded the counter, and it was then that Nora realised Murphy was conspicuously missing from the till. She frowned at the sound of coughing beyond the kitchen door, and when she cracked it open a cloud of smoke blew in her face. 

 

“ _Murphy?!_ ” 

 

She dropped the bags on the the floor, racing to where she could see a hunched silhouette over the cooker. 

 

Minutes later Nora had the windows and back door wide open, the ventilation fans running and the frying pan with its burned contents in the sink. Murphy was still coughing, huddled in a chair at the kitchen table with a glass of water. 

 

She waved Nora off when she fussed over her. “Don't worry about me kid, I'm fine. Believe you me, I've smoked stronger things than bacon.” 

 

“Speaking of smoke, we'd better replace that alarm,” Nora frowned, glaring at the silent smoke detector. 

 

“Never mind that now, kid. I need ya to finish that order for me,” Murphy insisted. “We got an order for an all-day breakfast that needs serving.”

 

At Murphy's insistence, Nora set about making the late breakfast as quickly as she could, throwing in extra portions not only as an apology, but as a way of using up food. Much of what she found in the fridge was close to the expiration date, and little of it had been used. 

 

She plated up and carried it into the dining area to find the customer exactly where she'd left them, completely unperturbed by the drama in the kitchen. 

 

Up close, she could see that the hoodie was worn and stained and the pungent odours of sweat and whiskey hung cloying in the air around them. She cleared her throat and the customer stirred, slowly sitting upright. 

 

Locks of red hair poked from beneath the hood, and when the customer turned towards her, Nora’s smile dropped. 

 

The woman’s face was gaunt, pale where it wasn’t mottled with bruises. Her lip was swollen and her eyes sunken and glazed. They sharpened as she gave Nora the once over. 

 

“Like what ya see?” 

 

“Oh! No. I mean - here’s your order.” 

 

As Nora set the plate in front of her the woman’s scowl deepened, her green eyes narrowing as she scrutinised the plate. Her stomach growled loudly, and a red flush coloured her cheeks to match her hair. 

 

“This is bigger than usual,” she said slowly. 

 

“Yeah - our way of saying sorry for the wait.” Nora decided not to mention the smoke. 

 

The woman shook the knife and fork free of the napkin so they clattered on the table. “Good. Coz I ain’t payin’ another cent.” 

 

“Well… I’ll be over there if you need anything else,” Nora said slowly, pointing towards the till. 

 

The woman just grunted, speared a sausage on her fork and took a bite. 

 

Nora retreated behind the counter, deciding to watch the front as Murphy had yet to re-emerge. As the customer wolfed down her meal, Nora again turned her attention to cleaning and inventory. Having spent most of her time so far in the back, she hadn't had much opportunity to explore the front - and the more she looked, the less convinced she was that she wanted to. 

 

The cupboards were dusty, full of stained mugs, glasses, and packets of snack food that were, again, close to expiration date. The display cases were in dire need of a polish, and despite the abundance of expiring snacks, all that was visibly available was a single Victoria sponge cake; stale and misshapen. 

 

Nora could feel a headache coming on. 

 

“Hey.” 

 

She raised her eyes from the abyss to see the customer watching her, a piece of fried toast in her hand. It crunched as she took a bite. 

 

“Dijoo make dis?” 

 

Nora told herself it didn't matter that the woman was spitting crumbs with every syllable. Not when the dining area was still as vile as her first day. 

 

“Yup.”

 

“‘S not bad,” the woman finally swallowed. “But where's Murphy? Was expectin’ her usual slop.”

 

Nora felt herself bristle. She hadn't known Murphy long at all, and yes the cafe was in dire straits, but Murphy clearly loved it. Sure, she didn’t get a lot done herself, but she worked hard for an old woman who could barely walk. 

 

Nora was pretty certain her smile didn’t meet her eyes. “She's taking a break.” 

 

“So, you new or somethin’? Didn’t see ya here last week.” 

 

“Yeah. Just started yesterday.” 

 

The woman nodded to herself, jabbing the remainder of toast into the runny yolks of her eggs. Nora returned to cleaning. 

 

It was as Nora scrubbed grime from the sink that the cafe door opened, and she turned to see her next customer walking inside. A tall man, dressed in an old fedora and trench coat like a pulp detective. He removed his hat as he approached, revealing a head of greying chestnut hair and a tired face with deep lines. Despite his weary appearance however his gold-flecked eyes were sharp and assessing.

 

They studied Nora a moment before darting to the other customer who was rising from her seat, leaving a clean plate on the table. As she swung her backpack over her shoulder, the man placed his fedora on the counter and nodded to her in greeting.

 

“Cait. Looks like you’ve been finding trouble again.”

 

“Piss off, Valentine,” Cait scowled, her shoulder bumping his as she passed. “Ain’t none of your damned business.” 

 

The door slammed shut behind her, and Valentine gave a dry chuckle. He turned to face Nora and raised his eyebrows. “Charming gal, ain’t she?”

 

“Yeah,” Nora frowned. “Looks like she’s been through hell, though.” 

 

“Kid’s got a tragic backstory all right,” Valentine nodded. “I’ll take a black coffee to go, if ya don’t mind.” 

 

“Sure thing!” 

 

“So, you must be the new gal,” Valentine said as Nora glanced over the styrofoam cups. “How’re ya finding it here?” 

 

“Well, it’s my third day so I can’t make too many judgements yet,” Nora commented, glancing towards the kitchen door before turning around with cups of different sizes. “Small, medium or large?” 

 

“Large. Need to keep these cogs turning when they’re working me like a robot.” 

 

“Oh? What do you work as?” 

 

“I’m a private detective. Name’s Nick Valentine.” 

 

“Well, good to meet you Nick. I’m Nora,” she smiled, placing his cup in front of him. “Don’t suppose you’ll be one of my regulars?” 

 

He gave her a warm smile. “I’ll probably be around often enough, sure. Speaking of regulars, I got somethin’ for one of ‘em. A thank you present. Would ya mind givin’ it to him from me?” 

 

“Uh… I guess I could.” 

 

“Thanks, doll.” 

 

Nick reached deep into his pockets, withdrawing a bundle wrapped up in newspaper. “I wanted to give it to him myself, but he took off before I could get it for him.” 

 

“Um. Who’s it addressed to, exactly?” 

 

Nick chuckled, his eyes lighting with mirth. “Oh. You’ll know him when you see him. Keep the change,” he added, handing her a bill. “Hope to see ya around!” 

 

“Oh - thank you. Have a good day!” 

 

With that, she was left alone in the cafe with the mysterious parcel left in front of her. She picked it up, frowning as she tried for feel it through the paper. It was something solid and a little heavy, though also slightly squidgy. She frowned. 

 

_What if it's something illegal?_

 

Suddenly, she was regretting her decision to say yes. What if it was a horrible item, or a prank that turned a different customer against her? 

 

She grabbed a knife from the cutlery drawer, her mind made up. The tape came away easily enough, and as she unwrapped it a pungent stench assailed her nostrils. She gagged, her eyes widening as she peeled away the final layer - revealing a large, meaty bone. 

 

Her mouth dropped open as she stared at it. _What the fuck? Is he a cannibal? Is this a threat to an enemy? How would I know who to give this too? Oh god I knew this area was weird, but not this weird!_

 

The kitchen door swung open and Murphy finally emerged, looking much better. She cocked her head, watching Nora intently. 

 

“Somethin’ the matter kid?” 

 

“Well- I - some guy just… he gave me this? Said it was for one of the regulars?” Nora gestured at the bone, and Murphy tottered over to look. 

 

She cackled. “It’s a bone, kid! And I know just who it’s for.” 

 

“Yes but - _who?_ Who wants a bone?” 

 

Murphy wrapped it up and gave her a gummy smile. “Dogmeat, of course!”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you to my wonderful betas Sunsolace and MrNinjaPineapple, and also to everybody reading and especially to those who have left kudos, comments or messaged me on tumblr! It means a lot you're enjoying it so far and want to read more! You make the writing of these chapters all the more fun! 💖

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to Commonwealth Coffee where I can promise many silly shenanigans in future with AU versions of all the companions and some other characters besides! The character list and tags will update as the story continues, but not anything drastic as this series is meant to be (mostly) light and fun! 
> 
> Huge thank you to the wonderful SunSolace and MrNinjaPineapple for betaing and helping me with the synopsis! 💖


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